Five Little Peppers And How They Grew [81]
said Joel cheerfully; "twas great fun. Let's begin again, Van!"
"We mustn't," said Van, readily giving up the charming prospect, and beginning to edge quickly towards the house. "Mamma wouldn't like it you know. He hits splendidly, mamma," he added generously, looking up. "He does really."
"And so does Van," cried Joel, his face glowing at the praise. "We'll come out every day," he added slipping into his jacket, and turning enthusiastically back to Van.
"And perhaps he could have pitched into the Burglars," finished Van, ignoring the invitation, and tumbling into his jacket with alarming speed.
"I know I could!" cried Joel, scampering after him into the house. "If I'd only a-been here!"
"Where's Ben?" said Van, bounding into the hail, and flinging himself down on one of the chairs. "Oh dear, I'm so hot! Say, Joe, where do you s'pose Ben is?"
"I don't know," replied Joel, who didn't even puff.
"I saw him a little while ago with master Percy," said Jane, who was going through the hall.
"There now! and they've gone off somewhere," cried Van in extreme irritation, and starting up quickly. "I know they have. Which way did they go, Jane? And how long ago?"
"Oh, I don't know," replied Jane carelessly, "half an hour maybe; and they didn't go nowhere as I see, at least they were talking at the door, and I was going up-stairs."
"Right here?" cried Van, and stamping with his foot to point out the exact place; "at this door, Jane?"
"Yes, yes," said Jane; "at that very door," and then she went into the dining-room to her work.
"Oh dear me!" cried Van, and flying out on the veranda, he began to peer wildly up and down the drive. "And they've gone to some splendid place, I know, and wouldn't tell us. That's just like Percy!" he added vindictively, "he's always stealing away! don't you see 'em, Joel? oh, do come out and look!"
"'Tisn't any use," said Joel coolly, sitting down on the chair Van had just vacated, and swinging his feet comfortably; "they're miles away if they've been gone half an hour. I'm goin' up-stairs," and he sprang up, and energetically pranced to the stairs.
"They aren't up-stairs!" screamed Van, in scorn, bounding into the hall. "Don't go; I know that they've gone down to the museum!"
"The what?" exclaimed Joel, nearly at the top, peering over the railing. "What's that you said--what is it?"
"A museum," shouted Van, "and it's a perfectly elegant place, Joel Pepper, and Percy knows I like to go; and now he's taken Ben off; and he'll show him all the things! and they'll all be old when I take him--and--and--oh! I hope the snakes will bite him!" he addcd, trying to think of something bad enough.
"Do they have snakes there?" asked Joel, staring.
"Yes, they do," snapped out Van. "They have everything!"
"Well, they shan't bite Ben!" cried Joel in terror. "Oh! do you suppose they will?" and he turned right straight around on the stairs, and looked at Van.
"No," said Van, "they won't bite--what's the matter, Joe?"
"Oh, they may," said Joel, his face working, and screwing both fists into his eyes; at last he burst right out into a torrent of sobs. "Oh, don't let 'em Van--don't!"
"Why, they can't," said Van in an emphatic voice, running up the stairs to Joel's side, frightened to death at his tears.
Then he began to shake his jacket sleeve violently to bring him back to reason, "Wait Joe! oh, do stop! oh, dear, what shall I do! I tell you, they can't bite," he screamed as loud as he could into his ear.
"You said--you--hoped--they--would,"said Joel's voice in smothered tones.
"Well, they won't anyway," said Van decidedly. "Cause they're all stuffed--so there now!"
"Ain't they alive--nor anythin'?" asked Joel, bringing one black eye into sight from behind his chubby hands.
"No," said Van, "they're just as dead as anything, Joel Pepper--been dead years! and there's old crabs there too, old dead crabs--and they're just lovely! Oh, such a lots of eggs as they've got! And there are shells and bugs and stones--and an awful old crocodile, and"---- "Oh,
"We mustn't," said Van, readily giving up the charming prospect, and beginning to edge quickly towards the house. "Mamma wouldn't like it you know. He hits splendidly, mamma," he added generously, looking up. "He does really."
"And so does Van," cried Joel, his face glowing at the praise. "We'll come out every day," he added slipping into his jacket, and turning enthusiastically back to Van.
"And perhaps he could have pitched into the Burglars," finished Van, ignoring the invitation, and tumbling into his jacket with alarming speed.
"I know I could!" cried Joel, scampering after him into the house. "If I'd only a-been here!"
"Where's Ben?" said Van, bounding into the hail, and flinging himself down on one of the chairs. "Oh dear, I'm so hot! Say, Joe, where do you s'pose Ben is?"
"I don't know," replied Joel, who didn't even puff.
"I saw him a little while ago with master Percy," said Jane, who was going through the hall.
"There now! and they've gone off somewhere," cried Van in extreme irritation, and starting up quickly. "I know they have. Which way did they go, Jane? And how long ago?"
"Oh, I don't know," replied Jane carelessly, "half an hour maybe; and they didn't go nowhere as I see, at least they were talking at the door, and I was going up-stairs."
"Right here?" cried Van, and stamping with his foot to point out the exact place; "at this door, Jane?"
"Yes, yes," said Jane; "at that very door," and then she went into the dining-room to her work.
"Oh dear me!" cried Van, and flying out on the veranda, he began to peer wildly up and down the drive. "And they've gone to some splendid place, I know, and wouldn't tell us. That's just like Percy!" he added vindictively, "he's always stealing away! don't you see 'em, Joel? oh, do come out and look!"
"'Tisn't any use," said Joel coolly, sitting down on the chair Van had just vacated, and swinging his feet comfortably; "they're miles away if they've been gone half an hour. I'm goin' up-stairs," and he sprang up, and energetically pranced to the stairs.
"They aren't up-stairs!" screamed Van, in scorn, bounding into the hall. "Don't go; I know that they've gone down to the museum!"
"The what?" exclaimed Joel, nearly at the top, peering over the railing. "What's that you said--what is it?"
"A museum," shouted Van, "and it's a perfectly elegant place, Joel Pepper, and Percy knows I like to go; and now he's taken Ben off; and he'll show him all the things! and they'll all be old when I take him--and--and--oh! I hope the snakes will bite him!" he addcd, trying to think of something bad enough.
"Do they have snakes there?" asked Joel, staring.
"Yes, they do," snapped out Van. "They have everything!"
"Well, they shan't bite Ben!" cried Joel in terror. "Oh! do you suppose they will?" and he turned right straight around on the stairs, and looked at Van.
"No," said Van, "they won't bite--what's the matter, Joe?"
"Oh, they may," said Joel, his face working, and screwing both fists into his eyes; at last he burst right out into a torrent of sobs. "Oh, don't let 'em Van--don't!"
"Why, they can't," said Van in an emphatic voice, running up the stairs to Joel's side, frightened to death at his tears.
Then he began to shake his jacket sleeve violently to bring him back to reason, "Wait Joe! oh, do stop! oh, dear, what shall I do! I tell you, they can't bite," he screamed as loud as he could into his ear.
"You said--you--hoped--they--would,"said Joel's voice in smothered tones.
"Well, they won't anyway," said Van decidedly. "Cause they're all stuffed--so there now!"
"Ain't they alive--nor anythin'?" asked Joel, bringing one black eye into sight from behind his chubby hands.
"No," said Van, "they're just as dead as anything, Joel Pepper--been dead years! and there's old crabs there too, old dead crabs--and they're just lovely! Oh, such a lots of eggs as they've got! And there are shells and bugs and stones--and an awful old crocodile, and"---- "Oh,